Apparatus for the wet treatment of textiles

ABSTRACT

A process of and an apparatus for the wet treatment of textiles in strip or web form which comprises a U-shaped tubular treatment vessel having at least two arms and a semi-circular tubular drive set conveying textiles through the treatment vessel by a treatment liquid and interconnecting the arms.

United States Patent Thies et a].

[ 51 June 20, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR THE WET TREATMENT OF TEXTILES [72]Inventors: AM F. B. THeI; m A Anellng, both of Coesfeld; Alhatlt.Reuther, Frankfun-Sossenheim; Werner Fluchter, Lette, all of Germany 731 hitts ignee: Firm. B. This, Coesfield, Germany [22] Filed: Nov.13,1969

211 Appl.No.: 876,377

[30] Foreign Application Priority Dot.

July 5, I969 19 34 157.2 Sept. 24, 1969 Germany ..P I9 44 794.0

52 05.0. .68/l77,68/l84,68/DIG.1 5| InLCl ..B05c3/l34 [58] FieIdolSeu-ch..68/177,178,179,l8l R,l84, 68/190,116. I

[56] I cu UNTIEDSTATES PATENTS 3,510,251 5/1910 Fujii et a1 ..68/l 84 x2,978,291 4/1961 Flhringer ..68/l84 UX Primary Examiner-Walter A. ScheelAntwan! Examiner-Philip R. Coe Attorney-Ernest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACTA process ofend an apparatus for the wet treatment oftextiles in "tip orweb form which comprbes a U-shlped tubular treatment vessel having atleast two Inns and a semi-circular tubular drive set conveying textilesthrough the treatment veasel by a treatment liquid and interconnectingthe arms.

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APPARATUS FOR THE WET TREATMENT OF TEXTILE The present invention relatesto as an apparatus for the wet treatment of textiles in strip or webform which are conveyed by the treatment liquid through a treatmentvessel.

Hitherto, the wet treatment of textiles in strip or web form has mainlybeen performed in air-pressure tanks known as winch vats whose upperhalves contain rollers or winches which pass an endless textile materialrunning thereover through the treatment liquid disposed in the bathbelow. The deflection of the web or strip over the rollers may causefolds in the material, which therefore become less intensivelyimpregnated. Moreover, if the goods are subject to expansion theynoticeably become somewhat lengthened.

To obviate these disadvantages. apparatus are known in which the rollersin the air-pressure tank are replaced by a curved conveying lineextending over the bath, and referred to hereinafter as the drive set",whose outlet points downwards towards the bath, a liquid pump beingconnected to the bath and to the conveying line to pass the liquid inthe bath through the line.

The textiles are moved through the bath by the flow of liquid in thepipe. As a rule a number of such drive sets is disposed one beside theother in one boiler.

A large volume of treatment liquid is required to operate theseapparatus, the result being considerable costs for chemicals and heatingand cooling.

Moreover, if a number of drive sets are used in a bath, the result maybe an uneven finishing effect over the width of the bath and theknotting of strands disposed one beside the other as they rotate.

It has also been found that this prior art process has various technicaldefects caused by the removal of the textiles from the treatment liquid.When introduced by a nonle into the drive set, the treatment liquid, forinstance, the dyeliquor, becomes intensively mixed with air, so that thedyeliquor begins to foam, and this has an extremely disadvantageouseffect on the finishing process. Due to the intimate contact between thedyeliquor and the air, there is also a very high consumption of reducingagent.

It is one object of the present invention, to provide a an apparatus forthe wet treatment of textiles which obviates these disadvantages.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide anapparatus for the wet treatment of textiles in strip or web form whichare moved by the treatment liquid through the treatment vessel, whereinthe treatment is a U-shaped pipe whose arms are interconnected by atubular drive set spanning a semicircle.

The apparatus is more particularly suited for the performance of aprocess according to the invention if an airdischarge valve is disposedat the top of the treatment vessel of the apparatus.

Preferably, the driving set comprises two concentric tubes tightlyinterconnected at their ends to produce a closed annular space, theouter tube having a spigot connected to the delivery side of a pump, andthe inner tube being formed, dis tributed over its periphery and length,with annular or sickleshaped slots or bores which extend through thetube at an inclination to its axis and in the direction in which thetextiles move.

in one embodiment of the invention the inner tube oomprises telescopedfrusto-conical sleeves, slots being produced at the places where thesleeves are connected to one another.

In a possible alternative embodiment, the inner tube is formed byindividual tube segments whose connecting places have slots extending atan inclination to the tube axis and in the direction in which thetextiles move.

Advantageously the driving set is interchangeable.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention a number of apparatusesaccording to the invention are combined into one unit, each drive setconnecting one arm of adjacent U-shaped pipes.

The series of individual treatment vessels can form an open or closedchain. in an open chain, textiles in strip or web form can be treatedcontinuously, whereas in a closed chain an endless ribbon can passthrough several times.

The way in which the treatment vessel is arranged is immaterial. Thearms of the U-shaped pipe can extend vertically or horizontally, and theplane extending through the axes of the arms can also be vertical orhorizontal. Any required intermediate position can also be used.

However, due to the readier introduction of the textiles, the treatmentvessel is preferably disposed with its arms extending horizontally. inpractical operation it has sometimes been found that the strand oftextiles in the drive set may become so strongly compressed thatirregularities may occur in the dyeing or other treatment. Thisdisadvantage is reliably obviated by the fact that a deflector plate isdisposed beneath the end of the drive set. I

The effect of the deflector plate is that the textile strand compressedin the drive set is opended by impinging on the plate. Consequently, thetextile strand is prevented from lying in the same folds during itswhole passage through the treatment vessel. Another result is a moreuniform dyeing or other wet treatment. The effect produced by adeflector plate according to the invention is further enhanced if aninjection nonle is disposed below the deflector plate. It is the purposeof the nozzle further to loosen up the textile strand already opened upby the deflector plate and to deposit the textile strand in an orderedmanner in the lower portion (storage space) of the treatment apparatus.The liquid for the injection nozzle is taken from the pressure pipe fromthe drive set connection spigots. The liquid can be fed to the nozzlevia an adjusting member either continuously or intermittently (inpulses).

in the storage space the injected liquid becomes combined with the restof the treatment dye liquor.

In a further improvement of the treatment apparatus a charging sluice inthe form of an inlet spigot is disposed below the start of the driveset, the filling aperture of the sluice being higher than the highestportion of the apparatus carrying dye liquor.

Due to this device the apparatus can be filled with the treatment liquorbefore the textiles are charged. The textile web is drawn into theapparatus through the filling sluice. The drawing of the textile webthrough the filling sluice means that no air can enter the apparatus,thus preventing any disadvantageous efiects of air such as frequentlyoccur in dyeing processes. Since afier the addition of the dyestuff tothe waterfilled treatment vessel such a strong clouding often occursthat the goods inside the apparatus cannot be observed by an observationglass, according to a further improvement, the apparatus according tothe invention is characterized by an apparatus comprising animpellerlike rotor disposed in the lower portion of the U-shaped pipeand having magnets, a magnetic switch connected to an optical indicatingdevice or the like being disposed outside the U-shaped pipe in the zoneof the magnetic field. The impeller is rotated by the movement of thestrand of textiles, such rotation making the indicator wink, thesuccession of winks indicating the speed of the strand of textilesmoving inside the apparatus.

An even more important improvement of the apparatus according to theinvention is characterized by a device for preventing the drive set fromgetting stopped up by the textiles. The textiles become accumulated inthe lower portion of the U-shaped pipe in such a way that it becomesclogged. There is a risk that on the inlet side of the drive set thetextiles will not be conveyed by the treatment liquid in the form of astrand or ribbon, but that the resulting plug will be forced by the flowagainst the inlet aperture of the drive set, thus clogging theapparatus. To obviate this disadvantage, two magnetic switches havingswitch levers disposed inside the U- shaped pipe and actuated by theresulting plug are disposed at various heights on the U-shaped pipe onthe inlet side of the drive set. if the plug is entrained it actuatesthe top switching lever, so that a magnetic valve is actuated to open apneumatic valve and allow thoroughly free passage. In this way treatmentliquid is introduced from the pump delivery line though a backing-upring into the treatment vessel and forces the plug back. As soon as theplug of textiles passes the bottom of one of the aforementioned magneticswitches, the latter delivers a pulse which closes the valves firstactuated. The fact, that the dyeliquor is supplied alternately to thebacking-up ring means that the textiles compressed to form a plug canmove only between the two inner switching levers i.e. is unable to clogthe inlet of the drive set.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention, which is shown byexample only, will be clearly understood in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. I is a section through the apparatus, the drive set having annularslots;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of a drive set consisting offrusto-conical sleeves;

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary section of a detail of FIG. 1 at an enlargedscale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section of a sickle shapedslot in the inner pipe of the drive set;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of a number ofbores in the inner tube of the drive set;

FIG. 5 is a section, corresponding to the apparatus shown in FIG. I ofthe U-shaped pipe having a portion of widened diameter;

FIG. 6 is a section through a further embodiment of the apparatusaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a section of a further embodiment of the apparatus accordingto the invention with extra devices.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, a treatmentvessel completely filled with treatment liquid comprises a U-shaped pipeI and a drive set 2, which connects the arms of the U-shaped pipe 1 andin which textiles 6 circulate for treatment. To make sure that duringthe filling of the treatment vessel with treatment liquid all the air isexpelled, an airdischarge valve 5 is disposed at the top of the vessel.One arm of the U-shaped pipe 1 has a liquid outlet 7 connected to theintake side of a pump 9. By means of a heat exchanger 8, the pump 9forces liquid into a spigot 10 of a tube 11 which spans a semicircle andconnects the anns of the U-shaped pipe I. concentrically disposed in thetube II, to produce the drive set 2 is a tube 12 comprising tubesegments 12a and slot rings 13 (FIG. At their ends the two tubes II and12 are closed off from one another, so as to produce an annular space 14therebetween In an interchangeable drive set 2, guides 16 and 17 arealso provided for the textiles, the guide 16 being disposed at the inletside of the drive set 2 and pointing towards the latter, while the guideI7 is disposed at the outlet side of the drive set 2 and points awayfrom the latter. An adjusting member 22 is provided to control thedelivery of the pump 9 and therefore the speed of circulation of thetextiles.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the inner tube I2 of the drive set comprisesfrusto-conical and telescoped sleeves 21. The telescoping produces aslot between two adjacent frusto-conical apertures. The size and natureof the drive set depend on the textiles to be treated.

The embodiment of the drive set 2 illustrated in FIG. 3 differs fromthat shown in FIG. 20 by the feature that slots 23 which do not extendaround the full circumference of the tube 12, are sickleshaped, andextend at an inclination to the tube axis which are provided instead ofthe annular slots 19 (FIG. 3).

Referring now to FIG. 4, the slots in the drive set are replaced bybores 24 extending at an inclination to the tube axis and distributedover the periphery of the tube 12.

In all embodiments the tube 12 of the drive set 2 can be disposedinterchangeable in the tube 11, to enable the apparatus to be readilyadapted to the requirements of each particular case.

FIG. 5 also shows a wet treatment apparatus in which the U- shaped pipe1' has a portion 4 of widened diameter.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a deflector plate 25 is provided below the endof the drive set 2', the strand 6' of textiles impinging on the plate25, so as to be loosened and opened up.

For further loosening up and improving depositing of the textile strand,an injection nozzle 26 is disposed in the U- shaped pipe 1 below thedeflector plate 25. The liquid for the nonle 26 is taken from theconnecting spigot 10' for the drive set 2'. The liquid can be fed to thenozzle 26 by means of an adjusting member 28 either continuously orintermittently (in pulses).

The head of the injection nozzle 26 preferably takes the form of ahemisphere having a number of radiating, downwardly pointing noulebores. (not shown) For the introduction of the textile strand a fillingspigot 27 is provided which has a sluice and whose aperture is higherthan the highest portion of the apparatus carrying dyeliquor.Consequently, the apparatus can be completely filled with the treatmentliquid before the goods are charged. The textile strand 6 is pulledthrough the filling sluice by means of the drive set 2 into theapparatus, so that no air can get into the apparatus together with thegoods.

The embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention in FIG. 7 hasextra devices for observing the course of the textiles and preventingthe drive set from getting clogged.

The main members for checking the course of the textiles are animpeller-like rotor 29 disposed in the U-shaped pipe 1 and havingmagnets, and a magnetic switch 30 which is disposed outside the U-shapedpipe in the zone of the magnetic field and is connected to an opticalindicating device 3 I.

The blades of the rotor 29 of the system for checking the course of thetextiles extend into the treatment vessel 1 and are rotated by theconveyance of the textiles 6 The rotary movement of the rotor 29 bringsthe magnets into and out of the switching zone of the magnetic switch30, so that the device 31 flashes at predetermined intervals of time.The intervals between the flashes also indicate the speed at which thetextiles 6 are moving in the vessel.

The system for preventing the drive set from getting clogged comprisesthe following members:

Magnetic switches 32 and 32', with their switch levers 33 and 34, are soconnected to one another in the arm of the U- shaped pipe, below theinlet to the drive set 2", that the textiles 6 pass over the switchlever 33. When the switch lever 34 which has a magnet therein is movedtoward the magnetic switches as a result of a clogging of the pipe Iadjacent the lever, it delivers a signal which actuates a magnetic valve35 and opens up the way for the compressed air to a pneumatic valve 36.The opening of the valve 36 feeds dye liquor from the pump delivery lineto a backing-up ring 37. The dye liquor fed exerts a counterpressure onthe textiles 6 and forces them down backwards in the arm of the vessel.If the textiles are forced back further than the switch lever 33, thelatter delivers a signal which closes the valves 35 and 36, so that thetextiles can again be conveyed by the flow of treatment liquid. The dyeliquor alternately fed to the backing-up ring causes the plug oftextiles 6 to move backwards and forwards between the two switch levers33 and 34, so that the plug" does not arrive at the inlet to the driveset.

The backing-up ring 37 preferably takes the form of a ring whichencloses the treatment vessel I below the inlet to the drive set 2.Inside the backing-up ring 37, the treatment vessel l is formed on aline extending right round it with a number of downwardly pointing bores(not shown).

The operation of the apparatus according to the present invention willnow be briefly described:

The U-shaped pipe I and the drive set 2 are completely filled with thetextiles 6 for treatment and the treatment liquid, with the airdischarge valve 5 opened. The pump 9 sucks the treatment liquid via thetreatment outlet 7 out of one arm of the U-shaped pipe 1 and delivers itthrough the heat exchanger 8 and by means of the spigot 10 into theannular space 14 of the drive set 2. The treatment liquid then emergesat an angle through the annular slots 19 into the space 15 inside thetube 12 and drives the textiles from the left-hand branch of theU-shaped pipe 1 into the right-hand branch. The textiles 6, in the form,for instance, of a web, can be inserted into the guide 16 of the driveset 2 when the latter is hinged up. The curvature of the drive set andof the flow produced by the slots steers the textiles in the requireddirection. For a required length of the web, the two ends can be sewntogether to form an endless web, so that the web of textiles can becirculated in the treatment liquid.

ln dependence on the capacity of the factory, a number of the apparatusaccording to the present invention can be connected in parallel or inseries and driven by one or more pumps 9.

While we have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, itis to be understood that these imbodiments are given by example only andnot in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for the wet treatment of textiles in strip or web formcomprising a U-shaped tubular treatment vessel,

a semi-circular tubular drive set conveying textiles through saidtreatment vessel by a treatment liquid and interconnecting the arms ofsaid U-shaped vessel,

an air-discharge valve disposed at the top of said drive set,

said drive set comprising two concentric tubes, including an outer tubeand an inner tube interconnected at their ends to define therebetween aclosed annular space,

a pump including a delivery side,

said outer tube having a spigot connected to the delivery of said pump,and

said inner tube is formed with perforations distributed over the surfaceof the inner tube which extend through the wall of said inner tube at aninclination to its axis and in the direction of movement of saidtextiles.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inner tubecomprises a plurality of telescoped frustoconical sleeves, and

said sleeves are telescoped to one another and define a slot betweeneach pair of adjacent sleeves.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner tubecomprises a plurality of interconnected individual tube segments, and

the connections of each pair of adjacent tube segments define slotsextending at an inclination to the tube axis and in the direction ofmovement of said textiles.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said drive set isremovably disposed in said treatment vessel.

5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said treatment vesselincludes at least one portion of widened diameter.

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, which includes a deflectorplate disposed adjacent the outlet end of said drive set.

7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 6, which includes an injectionnozzle disposed downstream of said deflector plate.

8. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, which includes a chargingsluice having a filling aperture and comprising an inlet spigot disposedadjacent the inlet end of said drive set 9. The apparatus, as set forthin claim 8, which includes means for checking the movement of saidtextiles through said treatment vessel,

said means comprises an impeller-like rotor including magnets anddisposed in said treatment vessel,

a magnetic switch is disposed outside of said treatment vessel andactuated by said magnets, and

an indicating device operatively connected with and actuated by saidmagnetic switch.

10. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, which includes means forpreventing clogging said drive set by said textiles circulatin therein,

said preven ing means comprise two magnetic switches disposed onebeneath the other on said treatment vessel below the inlet to said driveset and including switching levers disposed in said treatment vessel,and

said switches control the flow of said treatment liquid in a directionopposite to the direction of conveyance of said textiles.

k I II I I

1. An apparatus for the wet treatment of textiles in strip or web formcomprising a U-shaped tubular treatment vessel, a semi-circular tubulardrive set conveying textiles through said treatment vessel by atreatment liquid and interconnecting the arms of said U-shaped vessel,an air-discharge valve disposed at the top of said drive set, said driveset comprising two concentric tubes, including an outer tube and aninner tube interconnected at their ends to define therebetween a closedannular space, a pump including a delivery side, said outer tube havinga spigot connected to the delivery of said pump, and said inner tube isformed with perforations distributed over the surface of the inner tubewhich extend through the wall of said inner tube at an inclination toits axis and in the direction of movement of said textiles.
 2. Theapparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inner tube comprises aplurality of telescoped frusto-conical sleeves, and said sleeves aretelescoped to one another and define a slot between each pair ofadjacent sleeves.
 3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid inner tube comprises a plurality of interconnected individual tubesegments, and the connections of each pair of adjacent tube segmentsdefine slots extending at an inclination to the tube axis and in thedirection of movement of said textiles.
 4. The apparatus, as set forthin claim 3, wherein said drive set is removably disposed in saidtreatment vessel.
 5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, whereinsaid treatment vessel includes at least one portion of widened diameter.6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, which includes a deflectorplate disposed adjacent the outlet end of said drive set.
 7. Theapparatus, as set forth in claim 6, which includes an injection nozzledisposed downstream of said deflector plate.
 8. The apparatus, as setforth in claim 7, which includes a charging sluice having a fillingaperture and comprising an inlet spigot disposed adjacent the inlet endof said drive set.
 9. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 8, whichincludes means for checking the movement of said textiles through saidtreatment vessel, said means comprises an impeller-like rotor includingmagnets and disposed in said treatment vessel, a magnetic switch isdisposed outside of said treatment vessel and actuated by said magnets,and an indicating device operatively connected with and actuated by saidmagnetic switch.
 10. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, whichincludes means for preventing clogging said drive set by said textilescirculating therein, said preventing means comprise two magneticswitches disposed one beneath the other on said treatment vessel belowthe inlet to said drive set and including switching levers disposed insaid treatment vessel, and said switches control the flow of saidtreatment liquid in a direction opposite to the direction of conveyanceof said textiles.